The Snow Globes
by buymethestars
Summary: It's Victorian London, the date is 24th December 1864 and the children are disappearing. The Doctor goes to investigate, running into a young woman on the way. Will they be able to find the children and save Christmas? Find out inside... 'Hattie Kaylock, at your service, sir.' This story may lead to more...
1. 24 December 1864

_'People have been goin' missin'. It all started a few weeks before Christmas... One by one someone was taken. Have you noticed how I said taken after I said they'd gone missin'? No no no, not missin'... Disappearin'. People have been disappearin'. But it's not just people. It's the children. The children have been disappearin'. Christmas day is tomorrow and there isn't a child in sight. Parents have locked their children inside, scared to let them go play in the snow incase they disappear. These ain't your usual disappearances, no. It's far from usual.'_

* * *

The Doctor sighed as he slumped himself down on the steps of the TARDIS, moving his coat out the way before he sat so it didn't get caught under him.

"Christmas." He muttered to no one. "_Alone_." He whispered to himself as the TARDIS hummed as though she was responding. "Family. Who needs one, _eh_?" He looked up at the console, watching the tubes rise and fall, hearing a low 'hum' again, responding. He half smiled before sighing once more and reaching into his pocket and pulling out his glasses, treating them with such care you'd think they were the most important thing in the universe. He placed them on the bridge of his nose and reached into his pocket again and this time pulled out a book. _'Bigger on the inside pockets, incase you were wonderin'.'_

The TARDIS was silent. Even the low humming had come to a halt. The Doctor peered up from his book, moving it down below eye level, so he could see the console. Still silent. He raised it back up again, putting his full attention back to the page in the book he had begun to read. Well, attempted to begin to read. The silence was killing him, driving him insane. He began to fidget; either moving his glasses up and down on his nose, moving the level he was holding the book at, tapping his feet on the steps or sliding along the step subconciously. It was like his mind was too busy to let him stay still. _'If that's even possible.'_ He then suddenly threw the book down on the step, causing it to make a loud 'slapping' sound that echoed the halls of the ship.

"It's Christmas." He huffed. "Christmas and I'm sat... sulking." He removed his glasses and placed them gently back into his left pocket. "I'm that kid on Christmas morning that sulks because they don't like the present their mum and dad got them!" He rambled on to no one, just an empty control room. To his surprise the TARDIS once again hummed in a response, making his face form a shocked expression. "That's rude!" He pointed at the console before jumping up and marching towards it, gently slapping it. The ship then made a louder hum and jolted slightly, causing the Doctor to get thrown to the floor unexpectedly. His head then popped up, eye level with the console. "Oh alright! I suppose you're right." He then stood up, wiping the invisable dirt from his jacket and trousers and straightening his bow tie.

Before the Doctor could carry on with his rant, the scanner came to life, beeping repeatedly at him until he approached it, staring at it intently. "1864..." He read off the screen. "But why are you telling me this? What's so important about this year?" He asked quietly, almost in a whisper. The screen changed again, bringing up an old date. His eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "_December 24 1864_. I'm guessing this is one of the places I need to go." He questioned the TARDIS but didn't get a response as a lever flew up and the whole ship shook as it began to materialize on that day.

* * *

_Knock. Knock. Knock._

Silence.

_Knock. Knock. Knock._

Silence.

_Knock. Knock. Knock._

Hold on... That can't be right.

_Knock. Knock. Kno-_

"Hello!" The Doctor peeked his head out the TARDIS door, looking left and right, but saw no one in sight. He shook his head in confusion before closing the door.

_Knock. Knock. Knock._

He stopped dead in his tracks.

_Knock. Knock. Knock._

He slowly turned his head round to see the door.

_Knock. Knock. Knock._

He began to quietly walk to the door, not wanting to make a sound. He held his hand up to the door handle, going to grab it and -

_Knock. Knock. Knock_.

He lept back, the knocking startling him. He quickly grabbing the handle again, pulling the door open, revealing...

No-one.

Again.

The Doctor stepped out this time, spinning round, looking in every direction. He then scratched the back of his head confused. Had he finally lost it being in that silent box alone for so long? He had one last look before going back into the TARDIS, shutting the door behind him. As soon as he shut it, there it was again.

_Knock. Knock. Knock._

"_What is going on..._" He whispered to himself, running to the door and pulling it open, nearly yanking it off its hinges. There infront of him was a young woman, around the height of 5'3 with shoulder length chesnut brown hair, slightly curled as it was pinned back. She wore a dark green victorian dress that bought out her dark chocolate brown eyes. The Doctor narrowed his eyes. "What are you doing?" He asked looking her up and down in utter confusion.

"Who are you?" She questioned with an odd London Victorian accent, but it wasn't the usual Victorian cockney, as she looked as confused as him.

"What do you mean who am I? Who are you?" He questioned back, stepping forward, causing her to step back so he could step out the box.

"Are you a police man?" She asked, looking up at him.

"What? No-"

"Thought so. You look funny." She tilted her head to the side slightly, looking at his clothes. He looked down at his outfit, a dark purple coat and bow tie with black trousers and boots. He straightened his bow tie.

"What do you mean I look funny?" He asked, sounding insulted. "There's nothing wrong with what I'm wearing."

"So if you're not a police man, _why_ were you in a police box?" She folded her arms, glancing at the blue box next to her.

"_Why_ were you knocking on my police box?" He retorted, also folding his arms mimicking her.

"'Cause I thought you were 'ere to 'elp." She turned back to him, looking up at him again.

"Who says I'm not?" He gave her a small smirk and began to walk down the old victorian street. The streets were covered in snow. 'Untouched snow' the Doctor noticed. "The snow." He pointed to it, before kneeling down and looking at the snow intently.

"What a'bout it?" She watched him closely.

"It's untouched." He stated.

"Well, course it is." She said as if it was obvious.

"What do you mean 'course it is'?" He stood up slowly, turning to face her.

"I thought you said you were 'ere to 'elp." She narrowed her eyes, growing suspicious.

"And I am. And I will help as soon as I know why the snow is untouched." He said in a slightly dark tone.

"It's the children. They've been goin' missin'." She explained.

"When? When did this start?" He asked, pressing for answers.

"'Bout a week ago." She began. "Parents are keepin' their children inside. They ain't even allowed to play in the snow. We need 'elp. We need to find those children." There was a moment of silence before the Doctor clapped his hands together.

"Well then!" He exclaimed, making the girl jump slightly as he spun on his heel and began to walk away. "Be glad you've got me!" He turned to see her standing a few feet away from him, pulling her shawl around her further. "I'm the Doctor, at your service!" He grinned like a small child opening the Christmas present they always wished for. "What do I call you?" He pointed at her. She hesitated a second, debating whether to give him her real name or not. However, she felt like she could trust this man. This complete stranger.

"Hattie. Hattie Kaylock." She replied, "At _your_ service _sir._" She smirked, walking towards him.

"Hattie Kaylock. Nice name... _Cool_ name... Now! What do you say we go get those children back?" He said with a grin still plastered on his face.

"I'd say, lets do it." She gave him a small smile, his grin becoming contagious. And with that, they were off, running through the snow, leaving two pairs of footprints.


	2. TARDIS

It had begun to snow again. The little flakes of ice covering up the footprints they'd left. Hattie pulled her shawl closer to herself, still trailing behind the Doctor.

"What's a police box?" She asked after a few minutes of silence.

"It's a blue box from the 1960's which has a telephone inside it. Sometimes police stood in there incase there was any trouble nearby." He explained, still walking whilst reaching into his jacket and pulling out the sonic screwdriver.

"So you 'ave a police box, but you ain't a police man?" She raised her eyebrows.

"Yep! And what I'd like to know is why didn't you ask the obvious question?" He flicked the sonic up, causing it to make a light buzz. Hattie tried to look over his shoulder to see the device.

"What's the obvious question?"

"I mentioned it was from the 1960's yet we're in the 1860's. Why didn't you question that?" He carried on fiddling with the sonic. She shrugged, although he couldn't see it.

"Apart from I just thought you were mad, it wouldn't be the first weird thing 'appening round 'ere would it? So you sayin' you're from the 1960's in the future?"

"Course I'm not." He paused, causing Hattie to look at him confused. "I'm from further in the future." Her confused expression grew. Suddenly, there was a loud buzzing coming from the device in his hands.

"What's that then?" She peered over his shoulder on the tips of her toes.

"Sonic screwdriver." He stopped walking and stood still, the sonic still buzzing loudly.

"Funny lookin' screwdriver." She commented, also coming to a halt.

"It's not just a screwdriver." The buzzing stopped. "It does other things too." He placed it back into his pocket as he waited for the question... But it never came. He turned to face her, not noticing she was still peering over his shoulder as he nearly bumped into her.

"Aren't you going to ask what else it does?" Hattie looked up at him, noticing his green eyes were full of hope, yet there was a hint of sadness... They had a dark streak lurking too, which she felt she saw a tiny bit of earlier. "What?" He questioned, noticing how she was staring at his face. He then moved his hands to his face and started wiping it, asuming he had something on his face. She laughed lightly as she shook her head.

"Go on then. What else does it do?" She asked, folding her arms. His face lit up as a grin formed.

"Ah hah! There it is!" He pointed at her, flapping his arms around. "It can open doors, gives me readings on the atmosphere, picks up any fluctuations and traces of aliens-"

"Aliens?" She raised an eyebrow, her eyes becoming alert.

"Well, yes, aliens." His eyebrows furrowed.

"As in..." She pointed up to the sky. "Real aliens?"

"Are you telling me you believe that my police box is from the future but you don't believe in aliens?" He placed his hands on his hips, pushing his coat back.

"Oi, what am I s'posed to think?" She retorted as she began to use her hands to gesture. "A funny dressed man appears out of a police box and he ain't even a police man and he brings out this weird lookin' screwdriver, which doesn't even look like a screwdriver, that makes a buzzin' noise and can apparently find aliens?" The Doctor looked slighly taken back by her outburst. "What should I believe, eh?" She began to walk towards him still gesturing. "You tell me your box is from the 1960's and I ain't never seen one round 'ere before so what am I meant to think?" She reliased she'd back him against a wall but stayed close to him as he looked down at her with a flabbergasted face.

"Well-"

"And 'nother thing." She started again.

"Right." He said quietly, sighing slightly, giving up.

"Why was your screwdriver makin' that buzzin' noise?"

"I was scanning for any fluctuations in the Earth's atmosphere." Her face was blank. "Looking for aliens." He said simply.

"So are there any?" She asked, finally stepping away from him as he exhaled a long breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding.

"There are faint traces." He said, straightening his bow tie, feeling it had gone off at an angle when she backed him against the wall. Hattie then turned round with a concerned expression on her face.

"Are you sayin' it's aliens that 'ave taken the children?" Her voice held worry. The Doctor picked up on it and stopped walking towards her.

"It is... possible." He said almost in a whisper, but just loud enough for her to here.

"What are we goin' to do?" She asked, her body feeling as though it's frozen on the spot. He noticed. He thought for a second before running towards her and grabbing her hand, pulling her back towards the TARDIS.

"Oi!" She exclaimed as he dragged her along. "What d'you think you're doin!?"

"I'm taking you to the TARDIS." He replied, running round a corner, seeing the blue box in sight.

"The what?!"

"The TARDIS!" He stopped running as he reached the door, flinging it open and turning to the small girl behind him. He grabbed her shoulders gently, bringing her infront of him and pushing her into the box.

"Oi! This is no way to treat-" She stopped mid-sentance, frozen on the spot again, hearing the door shut behind her. "-a lady..." She whispered, amazed. The Doctor smirked, running past her up the steps and to the console, pressing a few buttons and running round it once before reaching where he started and looked down at her.

"Hattie Kaylock... Welcome to the TARDIS." He grinned, clapping his hands.

"Wait... But this was a police box..." She said confused.

"Huh? Oh... Oh! No, it never was. Not really. Just a disguise! She can change her appearance to match her surroundings." He explained.

"She?" Hattie raised an eyebrow, slowly walking up the steps, lifting the sides of her dress up slightly so she didn't trip.

"Yes. The TARDIS is a she. She is also a ship. A very special ship. A ship that can travel in space..." He paused as she reached the top of the steps, spinning round, taking it all in. "And time." He smiled.

"What are you?" She blurted out before she had the chance to stop herself. "Sorry, it's just... You can't be human..."

"No... I'm a Time Lord... The last of them." She noticed his eyes filled with the sadness she saw earlier before the hope soon came back. "But, never mind that!" He ran round the console again, pulling a few levers and pressing a few buttons. "We have Christmas to save!" He grinned.

"What makes you think I'm gonna 'elp ya?" She narrowed her eyes and followed him round the console.

"Because, Hattie Kaylock, you were the only person outside in the snow." He began, still preceeding to press buttons and pull levers. "Which tells me, you were looking for the children, am I correct?" He peered over at her and she gently nodded. He sent a small smile her way, before running to the scanner. "Right then! Let's see what she can tell us." He looked at the screen, watching as wavy lines appeared on the screen. Hattie came round, watching the wavy lines.

"What do they mean?" She looked up at him, seeing his facial expression change, his mouth slowly forming a frown.

"Something bad."


	3. Snow Globe

The Doctor ran to the TARDIS door, opening it and running out, Hattie closely following, accidentally dropping her shawl on the control room floor as she ran out.

"By bad, what d'you mean?" She followed him as he began to speed walk towards the street they were at before.

"I just mean... Bad. There's no other word to describe it!" He exclaimed, flapping his arms in the air.

"Where we goin' now?" She pulled up the sides of her dress again slightly, not wanting it to get wet from the snow.

"Straight to were the reading came from!"

"Which is?" He stopped causing Hattie to nearly bump into him. She looked to where he was looking. They were both looking down at the ground, seeing a snow globe sat in the snow.

"What's that doin' there? Did someone put that there?" She looked round, trying to see if she could see anyone.

"Interesting..." The Doctor mumbled to himself, slowly approaching the snow globe, crouching down at looking at it. Hattie copied his actions. He reached into his jacket and pulled out his sonic screwdriver, scanning the snow globe. She reached out to touch it before his hand grabbed her, stopping it from touching the glass. "Don't, touch it." He said simply, his voice commanding.

"Why not? You ain't seriously tellin' me a snow globe is dangerous?" She looked at him as he stared at her, releasing her hand.

"No." He lifted up the sonic. "I'm not but the sonic is." He said as it made a different buzzing sound to earlier.

"How? How can it be dangerous?" She moved her hand back to her side.

"I don't know yet... Still figuring it out." He placed the sonic back into his inside coat pocket. There was a moments silence before Hattie remembered something.

"Doctor, there's a small shop. It sells snow globes, just like this one. People 'ave been givin' them to the children for Christmas..." She said, her eyes wide in shock.

"Where? Where's the shop?" He said, jumping up offering his hand to her, which she took and he helped her up.

"This way." She lead the way, taking him down the street and off to another small narrow one, coming towards the little shop. "'Ere." She gestured to the shop. "They've been sellin' them for over a week..."

"When the disappearances started..." He finished her sentance. "Who runs it?"

"I dunno... Never went in." She admitted, shrugging. "Why would they take the children?"

"I don't know..." He said, worry in his voice. Suddenly, there was a loud clatter echoing down the narrow street, causing them both to jump. Hattie's heart beat soon began to pick up speed. The Doctor moved infront of her, putting his arm out slightly keeping her behind him. He began to move slowly towards where the sound had come from.

"Hello?" He called out in a calm voice. Silence. "Don't be afraid... We're here to help." He carried on, still moving forward, Hattie staying put. There was a slight shuffle and a quieter clatter. He edged towards where the sound had come from, standing infront of an old wooden gate. He raised his hand to the gate handle, slowly turning it... Before pushing the gate wide open, revealing a young boy around the age of ten. The boy look scared. "Hey... It's alright. We're not going to hurt you. We're here to help... What's your name?" He asked quietly, slowly leaning down to the boy's level.

"G-George W-Williams, sir." He boy stuttered out.

* * *

Whilst the Doctor talked to George, Hattie had an idea. She looked round near the bins trying to find a small piece of scrap metal. She eventually found some, picking it up from the floor, wiping off the thin layer or snow that had collected on top of it. She headed to the shop door and knelt down infront of the lock, placing the small piece of metal into the key lock, wiggling it around trying to unlock the door. After a minute or so of trying, she heard the door click, unlocking. She smiled to herself, standing back up and grabbing the door handle, turning it and opening the door slowly, careful not to make a sound. She entered the shop, looking round. The lighting was poor as evidentally no one was there as it was Christmas Eve. The only real light source was the natural light coming through the window. The natural light revealed the snow globes sat on the shelves. She noticed something. They were all empty. _'Why would you make empty snow globes?'_ She wandered, narrowing her eyes, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, leaning towards one of the globes.

"Odd..." She whispered. "I swear the one we saw had somethin' inside it." She sighed, standing upright. As she turned round and looked up, there was a outline of someone standing infront of her, making her jump back. They stepped in to the light. It was a young man wearing a black victorian suit, his hair combed back and was clean shaven. He was quite tall too, maybe just a bit taller than the Doctor. "Oh- I-I'm sorry sir for intrudin', it's just er, my nephew wanted me to buy him a snow globe for Christmas, and y'know what it's like 'round this time of the year... Everywhere is out. Couldn't find one anywhere... So I wandered if I could buy one of your snow globes, sir..." She hoped that story sounded convincing enough. The man's lips quirked up into a small smirk.

"So you want a snow globe?" He simply asked.

"That's right, sir." She nodded slowly. "If it's an inconvience I can just go, I'm sure I can find him somethin else-"

"That won't be nessacary." He said sternly, sending chills up her spine.

"No, no, I insist, sir, it's Christmas eve, it was rude of me." She began to slowly back towards the door. However, before she could go any further, the man had reached out and grabbed her small wrist, causing her fear to grow.

"I said, that won't be nessacary." He repeated in the same voice, pulling her back in past him, so he was closest to the door.

"I 'ave a friend waitin' for me. Just outside. He'll be wanderin' where I've got to, sir." Hattie attempted to get past, but he moved infront of her before moving to the door and shutting it.

"I insist you stay, miss." He looked at her. "Do you know what I think?" He didn't give her a chance to reply. "I think you know a bit too much." He placed the key in the door and turned it. Panic began to rise within her.

"What are you talkin' 'bout, sir?" She tried not to stutter or sound vunerable.

"I'm talking about you and your 'friend', sticking your noses into my buisness." He began to approach her.

"You must be mistaken-"

"No!" He shouted, causing her to jump back, stepping away from him. "I am never mistaken, miss."

* * *

The Doctor had just finished talking to George about why he was outside alone and not inside with his family. He had told the Doctor they were after him. The Doctor kept asking who 'they' were but George never gave a straight answer. He'd taken George back home, George showing him the way. When he returned he turned his head to where Hattie was stood, only to see she wasn't there.

"Hattie?" He called out, turning his head left and right frantically. "Hattie!" He called again, louder this time. Hattie could hear the Doctor calling her. And so could the man. The man began to walk towards her faster.

"Doctor!" Hattie called, hoping he'd heard her. He had. The Doctor ran towards the direction of the shop, trying to open the door, but it wouldn't open. _'Locked.'_ He thought. "Doct-!" She was cut off by a hand flying over her mouth, muffling her shouts.

"I believe you inquired about a snow globe miss. Although you aren't what we require, you may have one. Just this once." He picked up a snow globe with his gloved hand and it began to glow a light green. The Doctor got out the sonic as quickly as he could, trying to unlock the door, but the lock wouldn't budge.

"Arg! Stupid wooden doors!" He exclaimed. "Hattie!? Hattie, can you hear me?!" But there was no response. He looked around, looking for any small scrap metal, like Hattie had done. He then noticed some right by the door on the floor, which was what Hattie had used. He picked it up and picked the lock in a few seconds. He jumped up and opened the door, running in.

"Hattie!?"

Silence.

"Hattie!"

Silence.

He took out his sonic once again and started to scan for local human lifeforms. The buzzing began to get stronger and he lowered it to the floor, where a snow globe sat. As the placed the sonic next to the globe his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "What-" he whispered to himself, before carefully picking up the snow globe and holding it up to the light to reveal the snow globe was no longer empty... There in the center of the globe was a small Hattie. She was smiling, but was frozen, unable to move. The Doctor sighed and rubbed his eyes with his free hand.

"So that's where the children disappeared to..." He whispered.


End file.
